Changing Times
by Dialux
Summary: Zuko finds a long-lost story, and struggles to fit new knowledge with old beliefs. After all, time turns and returns, and there are many things that must happen before peace is actually achieved. His mother, his country, his allies... Zuko has everything to lose and everything to gain if he makes the wrong gamble.
1. Chapter 1

_"The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history."  
>― George Orwell<em>

* * *

><p>Zuko frowned at the blank piece of paper in front of him.<p>

There were many ways to word what he wanted to say, and even more people to send it to. Aang, Katara, Iroh, Sokka, Toph...

But he knew why he couldn't send it to most of them. Aang was the _Avatar. _He had responsibilities and, even if he didn't, there was a snowball's chance in hell that Zuko would actually _tell _him what this was. Katara couldn't keep a secret if it cost her her life-; many times, it nearly _had. _Iroh- there was good reason to _never _go in that direction. Toph could work, _would _work, except for one fact. She was _blind. _He couldn't just read what he'd seen _aloud._

And everybody knew words were dangerous.

_So Sokka it is_, he decided. Dipping pen in ink, he began the strokes that could save the world.

Or shatter it.

* * *

><p>Zuko stood at his shores, ready to welcome the first Water Tribe ship after the war. Everybody and their <em>mother<em> was itchy for battle, and he wanted to ensure everything went right. Right, meaning people didn't get run through and killed. He wanted the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes as allies, not just friends.

After all, there was a _difference _in being told the war was over, and actually seeing people who would have been enemies weeks ago being welcomed into the Capital with open arms. That it was their _ruler _who did so- well, it didn't help.

And Fire, for all that it wasn't as rigid as Earth, didn't like change.

Watching impassively as the blue-edged sails floated closer, Zuko let his hands curl into fists inside his robes. _You're the Fire Lord. You need to _act _like it. _Which, in this case, meant holding firm even when everyone around him wanted to burn things to ash. _So sit on that temper, because you can't afford to lose it. Just watch- and nobody's foolish enough to go _against _you._

_...Maybe. Hopefully._

A desperate gamble for desperate times; Zuko was no stranger to them. They were part and parcel of life in court, and he hadn't become inured to them in exile. No little thanks went to Iroh for that- he had absolutely reveled in giving Zuko problems when the cropped up. One of his worst traits was _making _those problems when he felt too little was going on.

_Yeah, anyone who thought me and Uncle weren't crazy should just spend some _time_ with us._

Except- it wasn't just worry and jumpiness that had frayed his nerves. A night walking through corridors under the palace, exploring with all the innocence of a naive prince, and-

-the world had crumbled. To ash on a breeze, because everything he'd ever known was wrong. And the worst part was that nobody ever even _suspected _such a horrible thing could have happened.

_Dead, and dust, before my grandfather's grandfather's grandfather was a thought. How do I tell my people the truth- when saying it can _kill _them? They'll never believe it, not without _proof, _and I can't give them that without telling Aang. And I can't break him like this._

Did that make him evil, wanting to protect the barely-teenaged boy from a second death?

_He's lost everything- family, friends, _way of life. _How can I tell him that his very _existence _is an affront to the actions of spirits? That his chi is the chi of a dead people- I _can't. Spots flashed in the corners of his eyes, and Zuko inhaled sharply. The salt air braced him, calmed a racing heart and tattered nerves.

_Breathe. You can't fix this problem. You know that. So _don't. _You called Sokka because he can help. _Let _him._

A blue-clad figure waved from the prow of the boat; Zuko only arched a dignified brow at Sokka's antics. His note might have been short and terse- he hadn't known what to say that wasn't dangerous to hear- but it ought to have carried a sense of urgency with it.

_Ugh. He traveled with Aang for about a year. Urgency to him probably means a _vacation_ to you._

* * *

><p><em>What the <em>hell _is going on with Zuko?_

Usually, he was stiffly kind; like a cat-owl, standing on formalities as much as friendship. Except today, he wasn't even attempting to catch Zuko's eye- he only watched as the trade imports and such were unloaded. Some people had slid down; were striking up conversation lightly, but no one was achieving much success.

_Oh. _Idiot. _We're the first people to come since the war ended. Did you think they'd be happy to see you?_

It would have been easy to just let this time slip by, and he would have. When Zuko's letter had come, he'd _really _wanted to refuse. He was home, after a year-long journey that gave him something more than fifteen years amidst ice ever had. He was home, with father and sister and grandmother and grandfather- with Tribe- and he hadn't wanted to abandon that for even a short period of time.

_There are so many ways we can die. So many ways our family can be taken from us. I can't just let that happen!_

And he hadn't. But when he had told Katara, in the dead of night, watching the push and pull of tides across the docked bay, she had not agreed. Only looked at him, worried.

_"We can't afford to let this slip, Sokka," Katara said quietly. "Zuko's doing everything he can, but the people need to be able to see that we're not just enemies. We're not friends- not _yet- _but we are Zuko's friends. If we just let them think nothing's changed, nothing will. Right now, they are facing change. The Avatar is back, Zuko's Fire Lord, _everything's _changed. What's one more?" Her eyes were very, very blue, and very, very serious. "I know you don't want to. But you also didn't want to leave the first time. You don't have a _choice."

And that had _hurt. _Katara had told him to go, and he had gone. The truths in her words were no less because he disliked them, but- really. Did she know what he had given for that? He had sacrificed his chance at chief in a single action; when he'd sailed away, the hurt in his heart wasn't really goodbye for a family but a life he'd been raised for _forever._

_You gave it up to save the world. Akkad is a good man- the Tribe isn't going to fall._

But it wasn't all about the Tribe- was it? When he returned, he'd have a second brother- all the better to train a new chief- and a sour taste in his stomach that he'd given it up to go talk to _Zuko. _When the problem might not even be that bad.

_Sometimes, I just wish I could be selfish._

Except that wasn't the job of a companion of the Avatar. Companions of the Avatar had to be good, morally impeccable, kind, and powerful. Sokka was- _most _of them. Not all. But enough that it didn't matter. And in turn, companions were given power. And respect.

Shoving thoughts of bitter rivalry aside, Sokka slipped the double-looped scabbard that held both boomerang and Master Piandao's sword on; the Fire Nation might have been forcible peaced, but there were still enough military to stand toe-to-toe with each citizen of Omashu and match, head by head. _Like hell am I walking there _unarmed.

* * *

><p>Sokka landed on the wooden dock, and immediately wished he hadn't.<p>

Zuko was staring at him, as if he was still gauging the distance Sokka's fallen. _Yeah, not the best idea in the world. But why are they so... _shocked?

The general, stiff and tense, _looked _at Sokka, hard. Then he turned around and started barking orders to one of the men at his side.

_Oh. _If it was bad to land unannounced, how much worse was it to land within ten feet of the Fire Lord? _I wonder what they'll change now. Obviously Aang hasn't visited over the weeks. _And he waited, wondering exactly how to broach the topic.

The Fire Nation was subtle. The Water Tribe blunt. He shrugged mentally. _Ah, to hell with it. I'm _Water Tribe. _I'm not changing just because someone in the Fire Nation wants me to._

A... harsh sentiment in this new era of peace. But still- _What the hell? I'm not the ambassador._

He'd brought an ambassador _with _him, but that didn't mean he had to be a diplomat. Sokka wasn't. Acting like he was was a lie, at best, and stupidity, at worst.

"You asked me to come." Sokka _looked_ at Zuko, wishing for once that he could read people as well as his sister. Or better still, Toph.

_Oh, yeah. Definitely need to bring Toph with me next time I come to the Fire Nation. They're all so... complicated. All the time._

Zuko nodded warily. "There are some _things _that have come up. I'm going to need your help to unravel them."

He arched an eyebrow. "In your archives? Sorry, but the Water Tribe has business. You need someone's help, just tell one of your underlings. They'll do it for you." Sokka shrugged carelessly, not showing irritation. "Is that all you called me here for?"

Zuko looked downright _panicked _for a moment, before it was smoothed away into arrogance. "Well, what use is a Water Tribe ally if I can't pick your brain? I'll talk to you about it later today. You probably need a break- from all that water."

A man coughed behind Zuko, amused derision evident, and Sokka felt fury swamp over him.

_What!? _Sokka almost- _almost- _took a threatening step forward. Then he saw where he was, and winced. Maybe not the best place to tell Zuko he was an idiot. _But if I gave up everything for grunt work, Zuko, I don't care how good you are. I'm coming for you._

_And just because Katara showed mercy to her enemies doesn't mean I will._

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. This is a revamped version of my Lost Secrets story which I still have up- I don't want to lose the followers or favorites for that one... But after a couple looks at it, I decided it could be rewritten a <em>lot <em>better. So I did, in between my two other stories, and have this one to put up for all of you!  
><strong>

**Hopefully this flows a bit better, and you won't be too shocked by the twists and turns as happened for Lost Secrets.**

**Next chapter, Zuko and Sokka talk about what Zuko's found, and Sokka reads an _interesting _document.**

**Reviews inspire me!**

**-Dialux**


	2. Chapter 2

_Whoa. _Sokka just _stared_ at the building in front of him, completely different from what Katara had described to him. He might have gotten used to the various forms of buildings after traveling the world with Aang, but that didn't mean it didn't amaze him. Something that wouldn't melt over summer, harden over winter- some things could stand for _over two hundred years. _But this palace?

It trumped it _all._

It was _huge_. Ebony wood, dark enough to hide ash, supported a rampant dragon at the gates, breathing flame over the watchers. "To purify those who enter," Sokka read from a metal plaque, stunned. _A blessing of the spirits for people who forsake them. And paid the ultimate price._

Damn. Zuko was _good._

Inside the walls- scarlet. As far as the eye could see. Softened, in certain places, by green grass and clear fountains, but sharpened in others with cold stone and hard gold. _How much time has it been since Zuko won? Not nearly long enough the build something like this. Not plan, and execute._

Weeks weren't long enough to build _anything. _And it had been a bare half-year since Sozin's Comet. Katara had told him that the old castle had been burned almost to the ground; only certain areas were still supported after Zuko's Agni Kai. After Katara defeated Azula- oh boy. _It would have been _worse. _And I didn't think that could happen. So how did he build this?_

A pain, bright and fierce behind his eye, flared sharply. Confusion and introspection had left their marks on him- travel, even for a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, was dangerous and tiring. Sokka was tired enough to fall asleep standing if he let himself; the only thing stopping him was the huge entourage of advisors and friends both had on either end of the court.

_Ah. Well. I'm not letting this farce of a meeting continue. Not that I don't enjoy wordplay, but this is _ridiculous_. _Steadying himself with a breath, Sokka leaned against a stone pillar and waited for Zuko to acknowledge him.

But Zuko wasn't even looking back at him. After he'd landed like a fool- close enough to kill a Fire Lord if he was a bender- on the dock, Sokka had kept his mouth shut and eyes open. Looking for things. Because, even if Zuko had said people weren't rioting, it didn't mean they weren't _close _to rioting. Which opened up a pandora's box of horrible-ness that he _couldn't deal with._

_So don't. If Zuko wants you to do something you don't want to- or can't do- tell him. He's not a fool, to expect that of you._

But he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't the least bit curious. Zuko _had _said in his note that he needed help. And from someone who was so dignified and independent- well, there was something going on, and Sokka wanted to know what.

_I wonder _exactly _what happened to make him so terrified, and how many people I've got to kill to fix it._

Which- wasn't as funny as he'd first thought. Because he'd _seen _people die in battle, and it wasn't a good death. It was a horrible, to see people die, and it _hurt _to see the aftermath, where grown warriors cried, and healers were washed in blood... After Aang merged with La, during the eclipse, even at the Northern Air Temple. Those were the _worst _times of his _life, _and no matter which way he sliced it, the nightmares seemed to be there forever.

So it was hard to kill. Which was good, in many ways, but also bad in others. Sokka would have been happy to _never _hurt a Fire Nation person, or any other person, for the rest of his life. But he was the companion of the Avatar. So- he got power. And he got to be unselfish, vicious, and violent.

_Oh, joy._

* * *

><p>Zuko saw Sokka lean against the pillar, and fought the urge to press knuckles into sleep-wanting eyes.<p>

Sokka was tired. He could- had- seen that from shore, even as the warrior waved with his customary lively energy.

_Ha. I'd like to see _him _stay awake for three days in a row. And run a country while at it._

That had not been one of his best ideas. Exhaustion, irritability, anger- they were all manageable. Words, not so much._ I'm going to have to pay _so much _weregild to that idiot I insulted. But damn if that wasn't funny._

Later, maybe. Right then? He'd felt so horrified at his public lack of control he could have shot himself. And Mai had broken up with him just days before; there was no one who would have the guts to stand up to the _Fire Lord _in public. Nobody to tell him that he was worrying too much, nobody to give him advice.

Court was a snake in a lion's den- people watching everything and judging every move, every breath, every damn emotion that crossed a person's face. As Fire Lord, Zuko was not only expected to be part of it; he was supposed to _lead _them. _No wonder Azula and Ozai did so well._

Which wasn't exactly fair to either of them.

Azulon had _hated _his second son, just as much as Ozai had hated Zuko. But where Ozai had always respected- as a foreigner doesn't understand alien practices but respects their swords- him, Azulon had despised Ozai. Untempered, unmolested- little wonder Zuko's father had grown up to be a psychopath. Azula had never had a chance, either; Ozai had held her in his demanding grasp since her birth.

Anger smoked through him, fine and cutting. The nobles watched side-long, eyes waiting, weighting disgrace over humor. _How long can I be disrespectful, _one man's sword hissed, _before the Fire Lord snaps?_

_Enough. _Whirling around, he cast a glance at everyone around them. Then, quiet and controlled, addressed Sokka. _Sorry, old friend. But I can't let this go, not without some retribution._

"We welcome you, Chief's-Son Sokka. Warm your feet by our hearth, and watch not for straying embers." His hands folded into the gesture for _respect, _but eyes were level and calm. "Our food is your food, our clothes your clothes, our wealth your wealth."

And suddenly _nobody _looked sure of themselves. He fought not to smirk, but it was a losing battle against their wariness. _When somebody offers your money, it isn't just a game, is it? Nobody ever said who revenge had to be taken on... Play games against allies and your Lord, will you?_

_You'll burn first._

* * *

><p>"You'll want somewhere to rest, I imagine?" Zuko asked calmly. But what Sokka couldn't forget was the frisson of cool alarm that ran through the crowd moments earlier- or the hidden amusement in Zuko's eyes.<p>

_What have you done, Zuko? What did you say- Oh. You just threw us to the wolves, didn't you?_

Yet there wasn't laughter in the nobles' eyes, only a worry that wasn't quite hidden. Sokka nodded carefully.

Zuko smiled. It wasn't pretty. "Then Chao will guide you and your men to your rooms. Chao-"

The man he'd chosen looked pretty unhappy about it. Sokka winced inside. Zuko was angry, and the world could only shiver and slink away until he calmed down. Until then- well. He was hungry, which probably meant his men were too. _Deal with issues after you eat. And rest. And get a feel for everything going on._

_So basically, don't talk to Zuko today._

He followed Chow to the rooms set aside for them, and felt his own jaw drop when they reached it. Murmurs of surprise came from the other warriors; Sokka knew none of them were expecting _this._

A low, blue-edged wall rang around a small garden-pool with turtle-ducks; after emerging from a hallway, the walls widened to either side, running in parallel lines and spanning perhaps twenty rooms. Froth-curled pillars supported the walls at periodic intervals, and Sokka saw, with a hint of dry humor, the insignia of the Water Tribe emblazoned on each door.

They had expected shame. After being at war for a century, who would assume they would be treated kindly? They had expected a small room tucked into the corner of the palace, even being divided into different areas so they could be picked off easier. The Fire Nation ambassador in the South probably faced exactly that. Not a _brilliant _set of rooms that were more expensive than anything in the Water Tribes, easily.

_Trying to shame us into acting honorably... You're more devious than I thought._

And Zuko was probably far more devious than anyone had realized, because he'd _survived, _hadn't he? His father and sister were _crazy. _His mom was gone. And his uncle was three-shades down from being a compulsive manipulator. _Zuko worshipped his cousin. And Lu Ten wasn't just good. He was the _best. _Because he was going to be Fire Lord after Iroh._

_And _he_ was killed by Ozai._

So Zuko had not only avoided that fate, which was startling enough, but he'd probably not just _acted _bad at bending. He would have had to be good, because if his father had murdered Lu Ten? He'd definitely have tried to murder his son.

Zuko had survived that, with only a scar on his face and bitterness in his heart.

_I wish we all could be so strong._

* * *

><p>The next morning, a summons came from the Fire Lord, to the Chief's son.<p>

Smart nobles watched silently, while Chao acted. Steel and bending were all good and strong, until they weren't enough. Words, that could stop and start a war far easier- that was where real power lay. And those who could manipulate not only their words, but others? Priceless.

The Fire Lord had humiliated him, making him serve the Water Tribe barbarians as he had. And Chao had done so. Because he didn't have a choice, but also because he wanted to understand those people. Understanding came before manipulation; a person had to _understand _another's goals before he could tell them how to reach it.

Nobody had ever accused Chao of being an idiot.

So when the letter was sent, he accosted the servant. And with a flick of his palm and a wave of his hand, it was seared into nothingness.

_Humiliate me, Prince Zuko... Fire Lord Zuko. But _never_ doubt that there will be a price._

* * *

><p>"I don't know, Nikak." Sokka fought hard to keep his temper, but it just <em>wasn't <em>going to happen. A full day and a half- Zuko had not sent anything. How much longer were they expected to wait? _This is an insult. _And maybe that was it. That was certainly the surface. But Sokka was a Southern Water-Tribe _warrior. _He knew, better than most, that often the warmest water was the most damaging, and the coldest was the most nutrient-rich.

The first part to being a warrior was watching- and he was_ good_ at it. All that remained was determining which one it was.

* * *

><p>Sokka watched cautiously, as a message finally arrived. It was couched in gold-plated silk, had rubies woven into the cloth itself, and had as many dangerous phrases in it as to skewer a cow-pig into tiny, itty-bitty pieces.<p>

_"Bids your appearance... Compulsory meeting... Mandatory _tonight..."

_Tui and La. Please, please,_ please_ save me and my men from a Fire Lord who's at the end of his rope and his nobles who keep trying to slice that end off._

"Please. _Because if you don't, I'm going to get the full brunt of that rage. And I don't think I've ever seen Zuko that _angry.

Irritated, yes. Frustrated, yes. _Furious? _No.

And what he, Katara, and Aang had not managed to do- nobles had. So, how annoying _were_ they?

Dismissing his men easily, Sokka followed the servant to Zuko's office. Ornate dragon heads decorated the knockers, and gold tassels and crimson tapestries hung floor-length the entire way.

He couldn't help but shiver, hearing the old saying once more.

_"Sozin, and Azulon. Hear the names of murderers and traitors, children." Kanna's eyes gleamed, hard as tundra-ice. "They have a name for them in the ancient tongue, one that only one other man holds in all the years. _Anabhihita_. Unnamed, unseen, unmade._

_"Only the Elders can call you one, but when they do... No one survives. It is worse than midnight-sun madness." At their gasps, Kanna nodded solemnly. "For midnight-sun can heat and turn away the water in you, but being unnamed... It drowns you. Not a soul has survived from such a travesty. And the Fire Nation has been named leaderless." Satisfaction colored her voice where regret should have been present. "The spirits will take everything from them. Remember this, if you remember nothing else: the Fire Lords have shed enough blood to wash each tapestry in their palace in blood. They say the red of the rugs in their palace can only come with the amount of blood shed on it."_

Seeing those tapestries for the very first time, Sokka couldn't help but be wary.

Girding himself, he entered Zuko's office.

* * *

><p><strong>Well. I wanted to add the document to this chapter, but it'll have to wait for another one. I also had to put in far more research than I expected at first; it's why remaking it took so much time. To those who are interested:<strong>

**1. Sokka's mens' rooms are very similar to old Greek palaces; an open courtyard in the middle and rooms on either side. Look up Ithacan architecture, and just add an open area in the middle of those houses.**

**2. It is attached at one end by a long hallway; similar to China's Forbidden City buildings, the entrance is huge and gets progressively less important on either end. This is what I've modeled Zuko's new palace on. So Zuko putting Sokka's men just across the primary courtyard?**

**... A _huge _diss to his own nobles. And making one of the _nobles _serve Sokka and his men, whom everybody considers lesser than them, is a larger diss. But Chao interfering with messages from the Fire Lord is not just manipulative, it's treasonous. Don't worry- he'll get his own messy end.**

**3. And, canon? Zuko was raised by one of the most dysfunctional families I could've imagined. His sister and father- they were damaged by _their _ancestors, probably going back to Sozin. Who, while he was a psychopath, also had this 'golden view of the world' where he wanted to _bring _the greatness of the Fire Nation to the rest of the world. Iroh isn't only silent- he's idiotic and manipulative at certain times (*cough, getting caught naked by the army, cough*) but also secretive. Which is _not good _to act like to _abused children. _Which Zuko _is. _But also, canon, Ozai is strongly stated to have hired men to kill Lu Ten._  
><em>**

**If he really hated his son that much, he would have killed him. Probably, he did try. Which means that Zuko's not only smart, he's good enough that he can appear idiotic in front of others but is _good _enough to get past assassins- hired, smart ones. Also, there's a lot of evidence that proves that abused children can become manipulative and devious. In this fic, I'm taking that idea and running with it. Like an Olympic sprinter...**

**4. Kanna is not a good person in this fic. We don't really know all that much about her, and it's really easy to interpret things either way. I like her- I _really _like her in the beginning, but Hama can be _vicious. _So... she isn't all that good, in this fic. Neither is Mai. Sorry to all the Maiko fans; I love that pairing, but it's not going to happen here.**

**Finally, some answers should be coming in the next chapter if anyone's really confused.**

**Reviews inspire me!**

**-Dialux**


	3. Chapter 3

"You asked me to come," Sokka said levelly, resolutely ignoring the finery surrounding him. If Zuko thought that could impress him, he was in for a _long _wait. "Why?"

Zuko leaned back, eyes narrowing against Sokka's not-_quite-_aggressive posture. "I've been asking for a whole day. Why haven't _you _answered?"

Sokka frowned. "We got the message only a few minutes ago. I came as soon as I could." He paused for a moment, bewilderment taking over anger. "You've been asking us to come the _whole day?"_

"Yeah." Zuko said distantly. "I wonder if... No." He looked up at Sokka, directing him to a silk-upholstered chair. "Nobody would be _that _foolish... Anyways." He shrugged off the question easily. "But I asked for you specifically for a number of reasons. First, we need someone to act as a diplomat between our countries. If it were anyone less than royal blood _everybody _would be insulted. Second, you're nice."

"You called me from my _home, _and my _family _because I'm _nice?" _Sokka managed, incredulous. "What is _wrong _with you?"

"Nothing..." Zuko trailed off at Sokka's glare. "Fine. I've been having trouble maintaining order among my nobles. No one's been foolish enough to actually _do _something, but I'm fairly certain that it's only because they don't have anything better to do. You're... bait." He smirked at Sokka's outrage, then tilted his head. "But those aren't the only reasons. I found something."

"Something?"

Zuko nodded tersely. "We aren't going down there tonight; I have a lot to finish and somethings..." He shuddered lightly, like a lion shedding chilled water. "Somethings aren't meant to be seen at night. Not when spirits are at their strongest."

"Spirits. As in the spirits in the _spirit world?" _Sokka asked dryly. "What does-"

"Everything." Zuko said quietly. "And nothing." A sigh, barely brushing paper before him. "I'll explain later. But- Just come tomorrow morning, at dawn."

Sokka shrugged. "Not a problem. Not like I have anything better to do."

Which didn't even get a _smile _from Zuko.

_Something's really, really wrong here._

* * *

><p>"It's going to get warm soon," Zuko warned Sokka. When the other boy didn't react, he shrugged mentally. He'd done his duty.<p>

_If a child burns their hand when _told _not to touch a stove, it is not the parent's duty to accept blame._

Slowly, the two of them walked down the cavern, steps growing steeper as the went. Zuko walking carefully, was still faster than Sokka behind him; experience helped in this.

A sharp turn around the sloping pillar, and Sokka went still. "Tha- that is _lava."_

"Yeah." Zuko turned, confused. "The area under the Fire Palace is full of lava. We live on _volcanoes, _Sokka. Did you think we wouldn't want an advantage like this under our hands? Or our feet, as it may be..."

Sokka glared. "You didn't tell me that we would be _lava. _And no _railings."_

"I'm sorry you need to be told everything before you calm down. You've been in far worse situations, Sokka." Zuko said flatly, turning around and continuing to descend. Sokka huffed indignantly, but followed him down.

_I don't know what's going on here, _Sokka thought worriedly. _But something big is. Or something _wrong. _What can frighten Zuko so much that he refused to talk about it above ground?_

Zuko led him down into a small cavern, heat beading on his forehead and slipping into his shirt. _Who knew magma could be so uncomfortable?_

"This used to be an underground entrance into the Fire Lady's quarters." Zuko said quietly. "It's said that only the most powerful benders could get through, and the Fire Lord was one of them. But then my father closed it off, after my mother- well. Apparently, even Azula wasn't allowed in."

Sokka winced. That Zuko had seen places his sister had been forbidden- it was just _another _reminder of the change in their places. Zuko had defeated his sister- but he hadn't forgotten everything before that Agni Kai. He still loved Azula, and survivor's guilt was _not _easily cured.

Zuko glanced back at him, pale eyes serious. All pretense of normality had been dropped- though pride still hid traces of terror in a prematurely lined face. _Damn. Zuko's running a country at age _sixteen. _No wonder he's tired._ "I was exploring this area because I wasn't sure if there was anything dangerous to non-benders."

"Says the guy who then brings a _non-bender _in to see it."

"I'm choking on my laughter," Zuko said dryly. "You're hilarious, Sokka."

"I do try," Sokka murmured.

Zuko sighed, then stopped. Waving him forward, he said, quietly, "Look. I found this a few weeks ago. Maybe not _important _looking, but the insides? Priceless. Though I'd give my right hand if someone would take that responsibility off my shoulders."

Sokka frowned. _This _was an unassuming metal door with an old Fire Nation lock, set deeply into the stone.

Enough that it was visible to those who knew where it was, or looked hard enough, but if you _didn't _know it was there... It would have been _impossible _to find it.

_What did Zuko say this was?_

But Zuko hadn't said anything apart from, "_wait until we're there."_

_Okay. It's completely, utterly official. I'm creeped out._

* * *

><p>The door swung open without a creak, and what <em>that <em>implicated, about the way the Fire Nation kept things smooth even when it was _old..._

Sokka didn't want to think about it.

_In the Water Tribe, nothing remains for longer than a couple years. At most. If Zuko wanted help with old spirits gone rabid, well, the Dai Li should be the best. I don't think Zuko's sent them away yet, after Azula kidnapped them. So why am _I _here?_

Zuko motioned him impatiently, and Sokka stepped inside. Reluctantly. Once inside, though, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. The oppressive heat of the magma chamber was not so pervasive here, but it was still not _normal. _In the place of the dry crackling heat, there was a more humid dampness, that tugged and fluttered under his robes. _Katara would have liked this._

But Sokka wasn't a waterbender. His weapons were the _jian _and his boomerang, and neither were useful against inhuman enemies. _Why am _I _doing this!_

Fear swallowed amidst pulses of hatred. _Zuko's a friend. Don't mess this up. _Straightening with a jerk, Sokka pressed a hand against his face. It came away damp with sweat. _Oh, damn it all. _"Where _are _we?"

"In a cave system under the castle." At the alarm on his face, Zuko twitched a smile. "Don't worry too much. I've had this checked out. Even if- and it's a major _if- _someone could enter this area, by feeling it underground, the magma around us will hurt _them _more than it'll hurt anyone else. It was built this way."

"By who?" Sokka asked, dreading the answer.

Zuko shook his head, almost helpless. "A man you'll never know. It's a guy _I've _never even _heard _of, until I read these records. These scrolls-" He gestured to a scarred table in the middle of the cavern, piled high with yellow-edged paper rolls. "-they're _precious. _There's only one copy of them, as far as I can tell, and what information the have _inside..._

_"_I never knew words could hurt that much."

_Oh. Ouch. Zuko isn't going to forget this anytime soon, is he? _"Um. You still haven't told me _what _I'm supposed to be looking at."

"This." He picked up a silk-scroll, the tasseled edges peeling gold while the inside was the light crimson of blood-drops in water. "I've read almost everything else here, and this one says everything you need to know. The basics, at least. Other things... If you have any questions, just tell me. We don't have time for you to read everything today. Maybe later, but..." He exhaled sharply. "I'll be right here, if you need anything."

Taking the scroll, Sokka retreated to a small table a few feet away from Zuko. Smoothing it against the wood, he bent down to read.

_I, Huo, King of the Fire Nation, hereby state that all writings on this page are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…_

* * *

><p><em>I, Huo, King of the Fire Nation, hereby state that all writings on this page are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.<em>

_There are many ways to begin this tale. Putting ink to paper- it is not the only way to hold such beloved- and vicious, I admit- truths. But it is the safest. For placing such knowledge as my people have... It is dangerous. If we must forget, as the spirits claim we must, my people shall not forget _everything. _We shall survive, under force of flame and fire, as Agni has bid us all these short, calm years. But I will not allow us to commit the same travesties we have done in years past._

_They took my brother's people yesterday. Today, they ask for my people's memories. What shall they ask for tomorrow? Who can stand against the spirits? Who can _dare?

_I knew a man who did. He gave us a gap, where there was once whole. He divided us, where once we roamed freely. Yet freedom... It is not a gift, in many ways. For we were chained in some things as much as we were free in others._

_Perhaps I ought to begin at the beginning._

_Ours is a tale of words, but there is one way to destroy such a tale, _utterly. _And that, is to kill all those who know it. My father told me stories, once, of our time before this world. Of great metal ships, that danced through the sky and from star to star... Of a people on another world, who, divided, shattered the preciousness of it apart, and sundered the beauty of nature into the finest of pieces. Of sand, which they then used to further their greatness._

_My ancestors were disgusted. They fled, eons and eons ago, to this world- the very first which they could inhabit. Yet this land was not empty; spirits held this land in their grasp. And when they landed, tired and weary, they were forced to pay a price. _

_They refused._

_And they were struck down mercilessly, disease and pestilence robbing them of the little pride they had left. Chains and indignity whipped their very souls, but the spirits did not abate. Not until their leader, Wan, knelt to the Great Council and offered a deal._

_"I shall give you our worship," Wan said. "Me and my people shall kneel before you now and forever more. You ask for blood, to repay the indignity we have forced upon you? I shall pay it. My children shall lead, for I am the leader. And we shall divide in four- no, five- times, such that your vengeance shall be answered."_

_Wan told the Council that his people would give them their allegiance, and in return, the spirits would no longer burn them out of existence. When the Council asked him how he would control the humans' prayers- ensuring not one spirit received more than others, for the spirits themselves were jealous of power- Wan replied that he would have five children, one to each of the Great Spirits. When they reached adulthood, he said, he would have them take a half of his people and worship one of the Great Spirits._

_The spirits agreed._

_And so, when his oldest son reached adulthood, Wan divided his people in half, and told his son to 'go out and worship Prithvi, goddess of earth and plenty.' And the First Earth King went, and he called his people around him one day and told them, 'we are the people of Prithvi. We kneel at her feet, and as she is the goddess of duty, strength, and stubbornness, so we will be.' Prithvi, upon hearing this, felt a great surge of power. In response, she gifted those loyal to her with earthbending._

_The second son reached adulthood, and Wan divided his people one more time. 'Go out, my son,' Wan said, 'and worship Agni, god of fire and passion.' And the first Fire Lord went, and called his people around him, and told them, 'we are the people of Agni. We fight for his glory, and as he is the god of power, passion, and loyalty, so we will be.' And Agni, upon hearing this, felt a great surge of power. In response, he gifted those loyal to him with firebending._

_When Wan's first daughter reached adulthood, Wan again divided his people in half, and told her to 'go out and worship Tui and La, Spirits of the Moon and Ocean.' And the first Tribal Chief went, and called her people around her and told them, 'we are the people of the water. We dance to their tides, and as they are the Spirits of family, change, and balance, so we will be.' Upon hearing this, Tui and La felt a great surge of power. In response, they gifted those loyal to them with waterbending._

_Wan's second daughter reached adulthood, and Wan divided his people once more. 'Go out and worship Fei-Lian, god of peace and wind' he told his daughter. And the first Air Nomad Elder went, and called her people around her and told them, 'we are the people of Fei Lian. We play to his will, and as he is the god of spirituality, wandering, and freedom, so we will be.' Upon hearing this, Fei Lian felt a great surge of power. In response, he gifted those loyal to him with airbending._

_Yet Wan had one last child- a small girl, who grew up in the tattered remnants of the once-great tribe. The best and brightest had already left, leaving the old, ailing, and bitter to remain in Wan's camp. Wan taught her everything he knew, however, and when he lay on his deathbed his last words were to her. 'Go out and worship Koh, Spirit of the Dead and Dying' he whispered to her. And the First Face-Leader went, and called her people around her, and told them, 'we are the people of Koh, and while we might not be the best in all the land we will have his favor.' But Koh, when he heard this, did not feel a surge of power. And he frowned, and did not offer them anything._

_Now, this might have been the end of the story._

_We might, even today, have five countries and be separated so, if not for the actions of my contemporary Face-Leader, Neimenuvan._

_Before any of this, however, it must be clarified that each of the Great Spirits binds us to them at the moment of our birth. As soon as we slip into the air, one touches us and gifts us with bending, a gift for our ancestors' worship. But when __Neimenuvan __was born, he did not breathe for the first few minutes of his life. He was born dead, and it was only with the help of a healing bender that his mother breathed life into him._

_This changed him. He was not born with Koh's blessing, little though that may be, and thus he was _different_ from the rest of us._

_He was empty and barren, of both power and binding. Where his mother should have burned him to ashes, as many other had done- the_ indignity _of having an uncherished in the family was never to be borne- __he was cherished. And he fostered followers carefully, like a flame too small to stand on its own. He grew them slowly, and looked out at us all, and was disgusted with our actions._

_'You are meek!' he cried in our courts and halls, 'You are weak! These spirits are not of our blood. They do not answer to our leaders, and care nothing for our pains. Yet we call them gods! They do not belong here!'_

_He did not listen to our efforts to tell him their power and majesty. And the spirits did not notice him because he did not have a binding, and they only saw those who did._

_He was given the Crown of the Face-Leader when his mother died, and grew a vicious army bent on taking a path into the Spirit World. None know of the truth of what happened the day he succeeded, but the moon grew red and the sun black and wind stopped curling for a month, a month of absolute fear for us all. We did not sleep, for in our sleep the monsters of darkness threatened our every movement. We did not love, for love in such a time is tantamount to defiance. _

Who can stand before the spirits?_ We asked ourselves, under our breath. _Who can dare?

_Yet __Neimenuvan did. And while fear curdled in our stomachs, hope fluttered in our hearts. We are not meant to be broken, after all, and the spirits had broken us long ago. Why should we not want for a better life- if not for ourselves, then for our children? Freedom is not so little a thing as to abandon it._

_And then __Neimenuvan c__ame back for a week._

_A week he spent traveling the world, calling Koh's people together once more._

_'They will all die, cousin.' His eyes were graver than ever before, but the light of fervent fanaticism hadn't yet perished. 'For I have found, that the only way to divide ourselves and the spirits is by the greatest sacrifice.'_

_'Blood,' I whispered through bloodless lips. 'Then words, then thought.'_

_'To give you and yours freedom, my people shall die. It is a poetic justice, is it not? I wanted it for myself, and I shall not get it. But for you... You who would have been happy pulling the yolk of their wishes... You are gaining your freedom.' He laughed bitterly. 'We shall die, cousin. For there is nothing they can _do. _I have ordered it, and none disobeys the Face-Leader's orders. So enjoy your freedom.'_

_I shook my head, wordless, but he did not take heed of that and only stepped out. By the time I got outside he was gone, a mere speck in the sky among thousands of his followers. Slowly, I knelt in a bow. To a man who gave me and mine so much... I could not call my pride my own if I did not give him my respect._

_I did not see him again._ _And he kept his word, which I doubted until the next morning. For then I found that they had all disappeared, ash on a winter wind. Never found again, never heard from... I weep in silence on my deathbed. For the spirits love their irony, and to me, the gave me the greatest insult. I hated __Neimenuvan all my life, and his people's sacrifice has given me my first son._

_A boy able to bend fire and water, earth and air, born to my pregnant wife._ _We shall call him Wan, and his title shall be Avatar Wan._

_For our heroes our simply our heroes, and even villains can do some good._

_So ends my tale, that of Huo, thirteenth Fire Lord of the Fire Nation._

* * *

><p><em>What. The<em>. Hell_? _Sokka thought hysterically, caught somewhere between fear and madness.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. So I'm not sure if this actually <em>answers <em>any of the questions you guys have, though it should cover pretty much everything... I actually took the names for the 'gods' of the old spirit world from actual gods in real life. Agni, in Hindu mythology, is the god of fire (taken pretty much from the Agni Kai thing...); Fei-Lian is the Chinese god of wind, who's actually known for _stirring up trouble; _Prithvi is also from Hindu mythology and is pretty much a parallel to Gaia from Greek mythology. Tui and La, we already know...**

**I've changed my old name (which was damn _weird) _of **_Miànduìmiàn tōuqiè zhě _**to the far easier one of Neimenuvan, which, in Macedonian, means unnamed. If you can tell that being unnamed is a pretty important thing in this fic, you are on the right track.**

**Reviews inspire me:)**

**-Dialux**


	4. Chapter 4

Sokka pressed cold, cold fingers against the old wood table; it was only at the ominous creak that he leaned back. "What _is _this, Zuko?" He kept his voice level, but it was not without an effort.

"A story," Zuko murmured, before snapping the scroll he'd been studying shut. "An ancient one. And- I need help, Sokka." He grimaced, but continued. "Nobody else could know, not with something this dangerous… I didn't _sleep _for over two weeks when I first came across this place."

_Because spirits are strongest at night._

Sokka rubbed a chilled hand against his arm. "I never thought that the… the Aethers are- or could be- our enemies."

"Aethers. As good a name as any, I guess. Did you think they would be our friends? Aethers… well, you know the stories better than anyone." When Sokka didn't respond, Zuko frowned. "Or maybe not."

"What are you _talking _about?"

"Our stories- bedtime stories- don't put Aethers as heroes. Ever. They're usually like… gods? Cruel, and something we can't pass judgment on." Zuko said quietly. "Something we can't hope to understand." He closed his eyes for a brief moment, before smiling thinly. "I think, Sokka, we're going to have a wild ride trying to keep this under wrap."

_Don't joke. _The words were almost spoken, before Sokka saw the tense shadows under Zuko's eyes, and the not-quite-hidden shake in his hands from exhaustion. _I'm betting if he doesn't try to lighten his load, he's going to crumble under the weight._

And it wasn't like he was any stranger to dealing with stress with laughter. So, instead, Sokka said, "A wilder ride than we can imagine."

Zuko smiled slowly.

* * *

><p>"I'm not going to be here for some time," Zuko said as they wound their way back to the surface.<p>

Sokka frowned. "Why?"

"My mother," Zuko said curtly. Then, softening a little, "You know I've been searching for her for a long time. I asked June to keep an ear out for any new trackers, and she sent me a hawk a few weeks back. A new one has popped up at the edge of the Si Wong desert… I'm leaving to search for her."

"The tracker or your mother?" Sokka asked dryly. _I'll bet a hundred gold pieces that he started to think about calling me as soon as he learned about this 'new tracker.'_

"Hopefully, both," Zuko retorted, just as dry. "But as it stands, you're going to need to hold this very, very classified information under wraps. You're not going to be able to enter the cavern, and I'm not letting you take the scrolls out, either. Just… remain normal." At Sokka's subtly disbelieving brow, Zuko nodded. "It's a lot harder than it looks, Sokka. So try to remain normal, and keep your men spreading the goodwill for the goodwill of both our countries."

Sokka shook his head, and followed his friend to the castle proper. "By the way," he called to Zuko's back, "have you thought about what to tell Aang?"

Zuko froze, then turned around slowly, like a man facing execution. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." At his frown, Zuko elaborated. "Nothing yet, I mean. Aang isn't ready for this. He's a _kid, _Sokka. He- Dammit, he can't even firebend properly. We can't tell Toph because this information is too scary to say aloud. And-"

"And we can't tell my sister because she'll go berserk." Sokka whispered. The true horror of what he'd read still hadn't hit; he expected that blessed numbness would last until he slept, and _then _he'd see exactly what Zuko meant by not sleeping for weeks on end. "Oh, my-" Cutting off the oath, he moved forward and caught Zuko's shoulder. "What are we _doing, _Zuko? We're kids- not _adults. _We're not supposed to-"

"I'm the Fire Lord." Zuko's eyes could have frozen fire. "This is what I have to do, Sokka. If you can't deal with it-"

Sokka knocked his defensive hand away. "Don't be an idiot, Zuko. That's not what I meant. But I mean- why haven't you spoken to your Uncle?"

"Uncle Iroh still believes in spi- Aethers." Zuko's voice was disgusted. "And he knows exactly how much I despise them. Any such- cache," he waved his hand behind him, at the lava fields below, "would be met with skepticism and, honestly, I don't want to waste the energy trying to convince him."

_Whoa. That's a _lot _of anger pent up there. Wonder what happened?_

_Distraction time._

"I have a couple questions," Sokka told him quietly.

"Of _course _there are." Even Zuko's sarcasm sounded completely exhausted.

"Well- why doesn't everyone know?"

"Know what?" He frowned. "About the Face-Stealer's people?"

Sokka tilted his head.

"Well, you've gotta remember, this was a _hundred thousand _years ago. Not a lot of things survive at that age. But- and remember, Koh was _pissed off- _some stuff do. And there are no records dating that far back. No one knew why, but I pulled some of the newest stuff together, and, well, we don't really have hard evidence."

"But?" Sokka asked carefully.

"But, there is a lot of stuff I can infer. And my thoughts? The people destroyed each other. Koh was furious, and his power might have been really, really lessened, but it wasn't broken, not like Neimenuvan thought, or hoped. Because people were always dying, and Koh got power from that."

Sokka tried to imagine that, Koh whispering in each ruler's ear about how great they were, and how brilliant, and how much better than everyone else, and constantly pushing for war, and then looked back at the small cache and shivered. Then he tried to think about a time when the spirits dictated _everything, _and only a prince without loyalty was able to beat them back.

Sokka shivered some more.

"I didn't just take it from here." Zuko added grimly. "I went to Ba Sing Se, because according to the maps, the oldest settlement in the world should have been about there. And there are caverns beneath caverns beneath caverns, but if you go below them all," and here Zuko paused, eyes crinkled in worry, "if you go below them all, you'll find a city. It's buried underneath _miles _of stone, and I'd never have found it without the maps. But it's there- and it's completely leveled.

Sokka inhaled, feeling like there was a twig stuck in his chest. Zuko went on. "Like someone wanted it _destroyed. _Gone." He spread his hands on the table, careful as a hunter who has his prey in sight. "And the most interesting thing? It just pops up. There aren't any tents or anything, just brick houses and mortar and everything like that. Sokka, those were the first houses, and they came from people _who knew how to build them."_

He nodded helplessly. Zuko sighed, burying his face in his hands. "We need a plan." He looked up, met Sokka's eyes. "A good one."

Sokka nodded hopelessly. "I'll have some time, though, right? While you're gone, I mean."

"Yeah."

"Then, I'll come up with a plan." Sokka said. "And while you're gone, I'll keep this under wraps."

Zuko frowned, then said, quiet, "I'm going to need to be back in a month's time. Winter Solstice is coming, and that's when the spirits are strongest- I don't know if they'll be able to take the knowledge from us again."

"And that would be _bad."_

"Yes," Zuko said flatly. "Very bad."

"Then we should get cracking, shouldn't we?" Sokka muttered as they emerged into the study.

* * *

><p><strong>This is another example of procrastinating to the last minute... I wrote this on the second of January, but didn't edit it until just now. And, on that note- I'm looking for a beta. If anyone is, or knows, a beta who is free, used to irregular updates, and helpful in assiting a random, <em>weird <em>person- please, _please _let me know. I am just coming to terms with the face that it really helps to have another person telling me that 'a' doesn't make sense, or 'b' could be phrased differently...**

**I have also finished a rough outline of where I want this story to progress. Be proud; this happens to be the first time I have done so. I am- hopefully- going to be able to continue this story and not hit writers block:)**

**For any of my Harry Potter readers, I will be fleshing out a partial outline for both Caelia and Carina within the month; expect updates before March.**

**Reviews, as always, inspire me!**

**- Dialux**


	5. Chapter 5

Zuko walked slowly, fidgeting in the oppressive heat yet too well-trained to do better.

This was a _bad idea; _he'd known as much when he'd told June that he wanted her to tell him whenever there was news of a new tracker. Zuko wanted to find his mother- she was perhaps the only person in his entire family who hadn't betrayed him- but he wasn't sure if he could afford to keep leaving his country to find her…

Especially after the first couple trackers has failed so spectacularly.

The Si Wong Desert wasn't just hot. It was _hot, _so much that his arms were burned red and he found it hard to breathe during the hottest part of the day.

Grumbling under his breath, he tugged at the sweat-soaked clothes that- he was sure- were going to be attached to his skin soon enough. As he did so, a shimmer caught his eye; a mirage-oasis shone into view as he walked towards it.

Zuko rolled his shoulders in relief; he couldn't wait to rest for few, brief hours.

* * *

><p>The cheapest inn in town- a term he used lightly- was shabby; the stone that built up the walls was chipped and starting to break, the walkway and stables were swept with sand and dust, and the tables inside were worn-down-dirty.<p>

Zuko would have preferred to walk to another one, but there was little enough money in his pouch that he wanted to stretch it. This one was cheap, and if it was dirty- he'd dealt with worse, before.

He hadn't found the tracker yet, but he was sure that it was only a matter of time. The rumors were getting stronger, now, and he was certain he was less than a day from finding her.

_I should have sent someone else._ Zuko thought as he scrubbed himself in the edge of the oasis' pool. And it was true- his country could ill afford to lose him now. If these failures continued, though, he was sure that he'd have to stop. _Hope is for those who can afford it._

And rulers never had that luxury, Zuko well knew.

* * *

><p>The innkeeper was a kind man, but colorless; the tilt of his head was similar to Iroh's when he was meddling, and Zuko hated both of them for it. He knew, very well, the image he struck.<p>

Paired dao sheathed at his back, daggers hidden in his sleeves. Zuko had learned from Mai- who was better than anyone else he knew- because flame was not, and, he suspected, it never would be welcome here. Not after so many years, not after all the death that had been caused by his countrymen.

_Not that Earth Kingdom soldiers were any kinder to us,_ he reflected dryly. _Not that we were the only ones who caused atrocities. I still haven't spoken to anyone about the Northern Air Temple._

But he had spoken to the widows and families of those dead men. The sheer number… When names on a page rose up to haunt you, how the hell was a sane person supposed to respond?

_Aang is twelve- not yet thirteen. And he has the blood of thousands, if not millions, on his hands. And that's without talking about the blood on the _Avatar's_ hands. He was born in blood; what Avatar dies peacefully? Kyoshi didn't, Roku didn't, hell- I'm betting Aang won't either._

He ate the tasteless stew musing over the facts. Everyone knew he'd left. He'd never made a secret of that fact, any more than he'd hid his disdain for his family. And Sokka… Zuko'd told him he was there to keep the peace, but he knew better. Sokka was there to keep all those greedy, money-yearning, idiotic nobles in line.

Throwing back a cup of wine, and barely grimacing at the aftertaste, he watched the others scattered around the tables.

They all looked battered; edgy and wary as they hissed at each other and themselves. The cloudy glasses had made him shudder with disgust when he'd first come across them, but by now he knew what to expect in areas like these- nothing more than the absolute minimum.

_'You've survived this long, haven't you, pretty boy?' _Zuko grumbled under his breath, imagining June's _. 'What, did you think we were all living like princesses?'_

The innkeeper was still hanging around him, looking almost pathetically hopeful. Shrugging mentally, Zuko tilted his head to the side, and beckoned him over. If he was going to be annoyed, might as well get something out of it.

"Ever heard of a tracker, goes by the name of Chiiden?" He asked.

The innkeeper arched a brow. "Yeah."

Scowling, Zuko tossed a copper across the table. "There's more if you can convince me to loosen the strings."

"Yeah," the man said, scooping up the coin and looking at Zuko. "She's a pretty good tracker, don't know if she's ever not managed to get something for her client."

"No." Zuko said flatly. "I could have gotten that information from any person who's heard of her. Give me more, or I'm gone."

"Fine. She's behind you." With a nasty grin, he waited.

Zuko forced his chair back, the screech drawing eyes all over the tavern- and was about to turn away… when the innkeeper's hand slammed down on the table. "What?" He asked levelly.

"My coin," the man said.

"I'll wait and see if you were telling the truth," he said flatly, before walking away.

* * *

><p>"What's your name?" Zuko asked the thin woman reclining on a wooden bench.<p>

Dark hair was pulled back, though it was lighter than one could expect this deep in the Earth Kingdom; tattered strips of cloth wrapped around her light frame in the traditional manner of a sandbender.

_But June said she wasn't a bender._

Swords glittered at her side, and he could see a hint of… _calculation? _

_Oh. _Idiot. _She's a swordsmaster- and she's not in the most _peaceful _land. Enemies around every corner, just waiting to stab you in the back if given a chance… I'd be wary too._

"Does it matter?" She asked dryly.

Zuko shrugged. "Mine's Lee. I was told by some friends that you can find people." He leaned forward, letting earnest need show. "I need to find my mother. She… ran away, during the war. And left me behind. It's safe now, for her to come home. So-"

"I'm not a charity." She said levelly.

"I have money."

"And how, exactly, did an orphan like you get enough money for that, _Lee?" _Her eyes glittered the same pattern as her swords, and were twice as sharp. Zuko winced.

_It's going to be hell trying to avoid telling her the truth- voluntary or not._

"My dad didn't make it back home, after the war. He had enough."

She retreated, the shine of intelligence fading behind masks of steel. "Fine. We leave at dawn. If you're late, don't bother trying to find me." She smiled, almost vicious. "You won't find me."

Zuko inclined his head carefully, not noticing the way she frowned at the unconscious nobility in the movement.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Chapter 5! Hope you guys like this one... I know you're confused, too. This fic is going to be quite confusing for a while. I'm sorry! Don't kill me. Please...<strong>

**But, to answer an anonymous review, which I hope can answer some of your questions:**

**1. Sokka and Zuko are about as close as I saw in canon. I've read a lot of bromantic fics- most are _really _good- but in canon there isn't all that evidence apart from Boiling Rock. If you're still not sold on that, go to Ch. 1 and you should get a pretty good idea of why Sokka's mad at Zuko.**

**2. Yeah. Spirits _are _bad. They are not the good guys. They are so different from humans it is _hard for them to understand _us.**

**3. Wan struck a deal with the spirits because they were killing everybody. He never thought he was enslaving his people to the spirits for eternity.**

**4. Nope. Nobody bent death; Koh was unhappy with his 'portion' of Wan's people- they were the not-good-enoughs, so while everybody else got bending the Face-Stealers didn't get anything.**

**5. During the solstice, Neimenuvan went into the spirit world with his army. Nobody knows what happened.**

**6. Zuko's more afraid of how Aang's going to react. And, not only is it weird, the reality is that Aang is the only relic of not only _one, _but _two _races. He is the _only person left. _When he finds out, he's going to be under a lot of stress. And what happens to an Avatar under stress? They _blow things up. _Zuko's freaking out about that, too.**

**7. The spirits were/are content to live in their world. But, because Zuko- and now Sokka- know the truth, the spirits are going to get angry.**

**8. And, finally, what to do with Lost Secrets? Don't read it. It will probably only confuse you- the writing was done while I was high on pain medication- and make y'all look at Changing Times with a _huh? She actually _wrote _this shit? _Also, with this chapter, we've caught up with Lost Secrets. That's all!**

**For _this _chapter, Chiiden means shadow, in Mongolian. This is not the tracker's real name. That's pretty much it...**

**Reviews inspire me!**

**-Dialux**


	6. Chapter 6

"You can call me Nira," she told him the next morning.

The sky was still a flushed pink, though it was darkening quickly. A small pack lay at her feet and she waited silently as he stumbled down from the rough lodging. He nodded vaguely; it was clear to her that he wasn't a morning person.

Amusement filtered through her, followed closely by exhaustion.

Sometimes, she wished she could sleep more than a couple hours every night.

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><p>"I thought your name was Chiiden," Zuko half-asked, half-stated. His morning-slumber had faded with the red sky, and he was wide awake by now.<p>

"It isn't," she said flatly. "It's a title. Nira is my name."

"Interesting name."

She shrugged, lightly enough that his suspicions were aroused. "My father gave it to me. One thing-" she cut herself off sharply.

"One thing he gave you," Zuko murmured softly. At her look, he tilted his head. "My father never really cared, so it didn't matter to me until he was… gone."

"Gone," she said quietly. "Our memories are never _gone, _Lee. And family tends to live on in them forever." She laughed, but it was bitter. "Even when we want them gone."

He nodded.

Zuko knew, better than most.

* * *

><p>He didn't know where they were going, or where she wanted them to go, but it was hot.<p>

_Oh, pardon my ideas about heat. It seems that she's only going to stop when we are crisped roasts and dead. _

It wasn't even like he hadn't asked her; she had snapped back venomously, and he'd been treated to a mirror-image of himself before he'd rescued Iroh.

_Not that he was that grateful for it, _he thought sourly. _Not that he ever thought of me as separate from the Fire Nation, or as something more than a tool to be used._

And that- it had _hurt. _Uncle Iroh was his father-figure, was the one person he'd thought he could rely on to help him through the dark times. He'd put his father in jail, locked his sister in an asylum, and when he'd returned to his uncle for comfort and rest…

He'd asked to leave.

Zuko had not known what to say; he'd stiffened his shoulders, though, and bit back all the words threatening to spill out. Zuko loved his uncle, but there was something more than peace and love every Fire Nation noble was responsible for- their people. And it seemed that his uncle didn't recognize that.

He'd _left, _because he had other wants- not needs- and he hadn't had the grace or dignity to seem penitent. Zuko had watched him set sail on a green-clad ship, and hated his uncle's uncaring attitude just a little more.

_I am responsible for my people. _He'd thought amidst sweat-soaked tears and bone-weary work. _Did you ask me to become Fire Lord because you wanted to avoid hurting Azula, or because you didn't want to rule over my people?_

_How many more betrayals must I endure from those of my blood?_

* * *

><p>Frustration fairly shone off Lee's back, and Nira smiled silently into her pack.<p>

Her amusement might have been petty, but it was amusement nonetheless and she wasn't fool enough to avoid it- especially when she didn't get amused all that easily.

She knew where they were going- if Lee didn't, well... she didn't particularly care.

Finally, once she judged the day was only going to get hotter, she spoke. "We'll camp there for some time." _Until tonight. Not that he needs to know-_

"It's midday," Zuko said flatly, obviously trying to hide annoyance.

"Ah. But how does one know what path to take when the end itself is unknown?" Nira's shoulder lifted in a graceful shrug, hiding her amusement. "We might as well search for the rest of our lives."

_How will you react…_

He took a threatening step forward. "_You're _the tracker."

_...when I don't listen to you?_

She smiled, unimpressed. "And it is _your _mother. Did you imagine I asked you along for my protection alone? If you wished her found- and if she _can _be found- you would have used another tracker." A smirk, there and gone like sunlight on a breeze. "Your relationship with June is quite well known."

"I've always been a perfect gentleman!" Zuko cried angrily.

"Did I question that?" The smirk widened, leaving him gritting his teeth.

* * *

><p>Tea was boiling, and an animal she'd captured from the cooler stones at the bottom was turning slowly on a spit before Zuko finally strode into the cave. Nira didn't glance up, only continued to rotate the spit slowly.<p>

A huff, and Zuko unbuckled his sword. _Are you really that trusting…_

_Fire Nation?_

Nira waited silently for him to speak. Shock traced through her arms, and she was poised to both run and attack. Carefully flicking her arms, she readied swords to slide into her palms. How had she missed it?

_Gold eyes, pale skin. Thin, small build, and a scar that is only possible on one who wished it to not kill, but injure. A walk natural with Firebenders- I should know- but holding steel with a simple grip, that can only come from practice. And shuriken… that are only taught to those of the Fire Nation. No wonder you aren't worried about losing those swords. You have a weapon in your _hands.

_Why did you lie to me, Firebender? What are you doing here?_

Eyes narrowed cautiously, she tightened her fists.

* * *

><p><strong>Well... last chapter didn't get as much enthusiasm. Hopefully this is better:) The plot thickens, anyway, and the actual meeting is continued. Next chapter is about half-written, so it should be updated soon. See you then!<strong>

**Reviews inspire me.**

**-Dialux**


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